Strings
by Mrs O-Town
Summary: Some games aren't meant to be played. But sometimes the prize is just too tempting. Written in response to the 'Cruel Intentions' challenge at OTH Writers911.
1. The Plan

**Title: **Strings  
**Author:** Mrs O-Town (Tejal)  
**Rating: **M  
**Disclaimer: **I don't own anything.  
**Summary: **Some games aren't meant to be played. But sometimes; the prize is just too tempting. Written in response to the 'Cruel Intentions' challenge at OTH Writers911.  
**Notes: **This was a challenge over at OTH Writer's 911, where Haley must be like Catherine from _Cruel Intentions_, and Brooke must be Annette. Big thanks yous are given to Neata and Luna for their help and advice, and overall awesomeness.

**Strings - Chapter One: The Plan**

Haley James-Scott was amazed at how she could wrap somebody so easily around her finger.

With just a modest amount of make-up, a conservative outfit, and a bright smile with just the right amount of nods and sweet talk; people folded like paper.

They fell for the choir girl look. They loved that she came from a good background, and thought they were leaving their children in good hands.

Haley smirked as she shed her school uniform and stood in her black lace underwear.

'_If only they knew,_' she thought to herself as she admired her reflection in the mirror.

She was certainly a good actress.

Her door to her boudoir opened suddenly and she spun around, facing the new arrival.

"_You_," she said a little unsatisfied, "You know they have a wonderful thing called 'knocking'. You might want to use it."

"Expecting somebody else?" Nathan leant against the door frame and crossed his arms.

Haley just replied with a sneer, but made no attempt to cover up her body. She was comfortable in her skin, and she enjoyed the way Nathan pretended not to check her out.

Nathan Scott, annoying older step-brother who seemed to think he was God's gift to women. And to tell the truth, he probably was. Haley didn't think he was anything special, but most of the girls in the school would probably disagree.

Of course, it wasn't to say that Haley didn't appreciate him. She'd always had a little, tiny thing for him. But she had decided early on that messing with his head was so much more fun than getting emotionally involved.

It didn't matter anyway; Nathan could get anyone he wanted, _when_ he wanted. And the cocky son of a bitch knew it.

Sometimes Haley resented him. She resented his bitch of a mother swooping in and stealing her father's heart those eight years ago. Haley had never liked Deborah Scott, especially since the gold-digging fiend came on to the scene just months after she and her father had buried Haley's mother.

Haley's mother who smelt of cookies and vanilla. The woman who softly sung Haley to sleep and let her borrow her pearls.

She was a huge difference to her step-mother, who came with her blonde hair and red lipstick. The evil woman who handed Haley over to varying nannies and only wanted to see her at dinner time.

Haley couldn't borrow Deb's pearls. She could steal them.

Her father could see no wrong in Haley, and let her get away with murder. His rose-tinted glasses only allowed him to see the seventeen year old girl who only wore a touch of lip gloss, knee-high socks, tartan skirt and a blue sweatshirt over the mandatory white blouse.

He didn't know about the vixen that had a wide range of lingerie stashed in her closet; the boys she had in her bedroom, in dark alleys outside clubs and on her father's desk while he was at work.

He didn't know that she could do a variety of different things with her tongue, nor did he know that the language she used was enough to make a sailor blush.

Nope, her father didn't see anything at all.

But Nathan did. Because Nathan was exactly the same.

A different girl for every hour of the day. Blondes, redheads, brunettes, twins. It didn't matter.

Which is probably why the two were the most popular in the school.

Nobody dared to call Haley a slut. Nobody dared to beat Nathan up for fucking their girlfriends the night before.

It was just accepted.

They knew that Haley and Nathan Scott held the power and status to kick them out of the eight-thousand-dollar-a-semester school that their parents worked hard to get them into.

"What do you want, dear step-brother?" Haley asked, her hands resting on the smooth curves of her hips.

"Mom wants you downstairs," he replied, his eyes never leaving her body. Haley rolled her eyes.

"So what?" she replied curtly as she turned and sat down at her vanity table. She saw Nathan's smile drop as she did; he could no longer stare at the full beauty of her body, since half of it was hidden under a table.

"So…" he said venturing further into the room, "She wants to see you."

"She's not the boss of me," Haley sang. She always did this when Deb requested to see her.

"She is your mother."

"_Step_-mother," Haley emphasized, "And she can't make me do anything."

Nathan sighed, "Haley, come downstairs to see her. Preferably not kicking and screaming."

Haley narrowed her eyes and stood up, walking briskly to the door and stopping just inches from Nathan's face.

"Fine." She bit out. Nathan looked at her up and down.

"And preferably in clothing. As much as I'm sure Mr. Davis would _love_ to see you in your current attire, I think it'll be much more appreciated if you put on the clown gown."

Nathan pointed to where the 'clown gown' was spread across the bed. Haley had so affectionately called her school uniform that because it reminded her so much of a clown. Someone who dresses up and acts happy, when inside they're anything but.

Half the time, she thought of herself as just that.

A clown.

"Mr. Davis…" Haley mused, "Where have I heard that name before?"

"Well if you read the newspaper, rather than InStyle, you'll know that Mr. Rodger Davis owns several of them."

Haley cocked her head to the side, her fingers reaching for Nathan's midsection, and grabbing hold of his belt. Tugging it slightly so that he jerked towards her, she let her fingers graze the skin underneath.

"Tell her I'll be down in a minute," she said seductively, knowing that at this very minute, Nathan's heart was racing at an unbelievable speed.

"She…" Nathan tried not to let Haley know the effect she had on him, "She wants you downstairs… _now._"

"Tell her I'm just finishing off my prayers then," Haley said, letting go of Nathan and walking away. "And shut the door when you leave." She instructed.

Nathan did so and took a few moments outside her door to collect himself.

That girl was dangerous.

-------

Five minutes later, a more demure looking Haley stepped into the living room to greet the guests. And her step-mother.

Everyone turned to face her, and Haley noted that one of the guests was a pretty brunette girl, sitting between her parents.

"And this is my daughter, Haley," Deb proudly announced. Haley held back a growl aimed at Deb and chose to smile sweetly instead.

"Hello," she said holding out her hand to greet them. "How nice it is to have you here."

Haley took a seat nearby, noticing for the first time that Nathan was also in the room. She gave him a slight nod, to which he shifted uncomfortably.

"Mr. and Mrs. Davis were interested in enrolling their daughter, Brooke, at St. James'," Deb explained. Haley had fought long and hard to let her father keep the name of the school as it was. Deb had wanted to change it to something stupid like Tree Hill Manor, but Haley's insistence that they keep the name in honor of her mother's maiden name.

"It really is an honor to have someone of your stature choose St. James'," Haley said to Rodger, "I mean… _you_ are like a hero of mine." Haley said, holding a hand to her chest.

"Really?" Rodger Davis asked, seemingly pleased.

"Oh yes! I've always been interested in journalism," She smiled in return. It was just like tuning a violin, this art-form of hers, and she'd perfected it. Nathan rolled his eyes at her talent. He was still auditioning for the symphony, as it were.

"Well, in that case, I think you and I should talk. We could get some valuable work experience for you before college." Rodger suggested. Haley gave him a bright smile.

"We'll definitely have to discuss it," she said, even though she had no inclination to do so. Haley knew exactly how to tell people what they wanted to hear.

And the strings played on.

Haley played along as Rodger Davis grinned broadly and filled her in on the 'tricks of the trade'. She smiled demurely and nodded in the appropriate pauses, all the while thinking that murder should be legal. For a journalist, he was certainly bad at reading people... not that it mattered; she had business to conduct. And, as a Daddy's girl with a new Mercedes Sports on the way, she would do her best.

"Anyway," she said, her voice as sweet as sugar, "I feel awfully rude...We've gotten completely off track." She turned and smiled, baring her teeth in a somewhat predatory manner, to the teenage girl at the man's side. Extending her hand, she added. "I'm Haley...And, I'm so sorry, I've forgotten your name already..." She twirled a lock of her hair. "I'm such a bimbo sometimes..."

Her step-mother laughed viscously and Haley had to struggle not to send a snide remark her way.

Brooke simply smiled, "Brooke Davis," she introduced herself, shaking Haley's hand. Haley noted that her finger nails were devoid of nail varnish, and she signed inwardly.

Not another one.

"Oh, right!" she giggled, sounding so very pathetic to her own ears. "I'll store that one away like a proper journalist would." She tapped the side of her head and sent a flirtatious glance towards the Davis man.

There was nothing in the rulebook that said she couldn't enjoy herself whilst working, after all.

To the side, Nathan rolled his eyes.

"You know," Brooke's mother began, "Brooke recently had an article published in one of Rodger's newpapers. _The New York Times_, I believe."

"Really?" Haley cocked her head to the side, "Well, that is very interesting. What was it on?"

Rodger beamed proudly, "It was on the attitudes of teenagers today on sex."

Haley had the good grace to blush. "Oh, my..." She touched her cheek. "That is a very risqué topic, isn't it? I can't believe the way people our age behave sometimes!" Nathan arched an eyebrow and her step-mother snuffled a snort. However, she ploughed on. "I mean..." Placing a hand to her heart, she attempted to look wistful. "Whatever happened to waiting for love?"

Brooke, as predicted, broke into a wide, innocent smile. "Oh, that's exactly the way I feel!" She leant forward conspiratorially, "I think it's pointless to look at it any other way, don't you?"

'It depends,' Haley thought to herself, 'I rather like looking at the top of a man's head when he's…' She shook herself from that train of thought and chose, instead, to fine tune her newest instruments. "Of course! True love is the _only _way to go… I wouldn't even dream of giving my… heart," here she blushed once more for good measure, "to someone I barely knew, or barely liked!"

This response, naturally, caused Mr and Mrs. Davis to look across at one another and smile. They'd found the perfect mentor for their darling little girl! And, by the looks of it, the perfect school.

Brooke, meanwhile, was looking a bit like the cat that got the cream. It was incredibly disturbing and Haley wanted to put an end to it as soon as possible.

She turned to Mr Davis. "I do hope you find St James' suitable for your needs." She fiddled with the ornate cross that hung about her neck. "We'd love to have Brooke join us..."

"And I personally, would take her under my wing. I know how difficult it is to adjust at a new school." Haley offered

All three of them grinned widely, "Well that is just so generous of you. We were slightly unsure of leaving Brooke alone - especially since we have to leave for California tomorrow. But this puts me and my husband at rest, knowing that our little girl is in the company of such a fine role model"

"Oh, please..." Haley blushed and giggled gracefully, swatting a hand in their direction. "You flatter me..."

Nathan sighed into his glass of water, wondering how much crap Haley could spew before she made him sick.

As he glanced around the roo, he caught Brooke's eye, and she blushed suddenly, tearing her gaze away.

Haley, having noticed this, smiled slowly as a plan began to formulate.

"Well," Haley stood up, "How about you make the arrangements with my step-mother, and Brooke and I can go out for coffee, and give ourselves a chance to gossip."

"That sounds like an excellent idea," Mr. Davis nodded, rising politely as Haley attempted to drag Brooke from the room. "Oh, and Miss Scott?" He called after her, forcing her to grind her teeth.

She spun around and managed a curious smile. "Yes, sir?"

"I'll see what we can do with that work experience." He smiled broadly at her, as if expecting her to be utterly grateful.

Naturally, she appeared just that. "Oh, thank you Mr. Davis...As long as it's no bother..."

"Of course not, my dear. No bother at all."

Haley then turned to Brooke, "I hope you like lattes. Our cafeteria makes wonderful ones."

Brooke stood up from her seat and gave a slight nod. She kissed her parents both on their cheeks, followed by Deb and then gave a chaste nod in Nathan's direction. He returned it and watched as Brooke Davis - virgin - walked off with her new best friend.

Haley James-Scott - slut.

This was bound to be an interesting year.

-----

"So... Brooke..." Haley began, twirling her spoon between her fingers. "You're... special, aren't you?" She spoke in a slow drawl, no longer forced to play the happy, perky model student. "You're not big on the sex thing, I mean."

Brooke's eyes widened. "Er... No... What I mean to say is..." She looked down at her lap. "No." She looked back up, confused. "I was under the impression that you...well...that we're in agreement."

Haley laughed throatily, "Oh, Brookie, Brookie, Brookie. You're not in Kansas anymore. This is an entirely different place. People don't care if you're smart, or have good morals. That's not the way to get ahead."

She paused as if considering something, "Or to give it, either."

The joke, sick though it was, was lost on the other girl.

"What?"

"You'll learn pretty quickly that a beautiful girl like you can't last long if you don't play the game."

"What game?" Brooke frowned, wishing that she'd chosen to stay with her parents.

Haley became frustrated with her naivety and sighed, "Look, Brooke. Guys here are only interested in one thing. And it's in your best interest to give it. There are no rooms at St. James' for _virgins_."

The other girl looked scandalized. "When my father hears about this-"

In an instant, Haley had her hands pinned against the table. "Daddy dearest will NOT be hearing anything, other than the fact that you're having a marvelous time." She leant backwards, beaming happily. "Got it?"

"But-"

"Despite our... let's say extra-curricular activities, St. James' is one of the best schools in the country. Relax; we're not going to write "not a virgin" on your college transcripts. It's just a... an experience. You'll make a lot of friends this way."

'And even more enemies,' she thought to herself.

Brooke was uneasy. "I'm not sure it's right for me..."

"Hon, listen to me and listen good; St. James' is right for everyone." Haley grinned wickedly. "Who knows? You may just enjoy being a naughty girl..."

Brooke gulped and stood her ground, "I've been raised by two good people who have wanted nothing but the best from me. My virginity isn't a curse, but it's a choice. I want to be in love before I give a big part of myself to somebody. I don't care if everyone else in this school is doing it; I am going to stick by my vow. You'll see."

Rolling her eyes, Haley brought out the big guns. "Alright, fine..." She smiled a little too kindly, and put her hands up in defeat. "It's your choice after all..." She shrugged, knowing intrinsically that the girl would take the bait. "It's too bad though...Nathan rather likes girls like you..." She looked Brooke up and down. "He's all for your...hidden potential."

Brooke self-consciously folded her arms across her chest, "If you don't mind, I'd rather not go for coffee. I'd like to be shown to my room, please."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I can't do that," Haley pulled out her flip-phone, "I've got an appointment I simply must keep..." She dialed a number and raised the phone to her ear. "Hi...Yeah...Need a favor...If you could take our newest lovely young thing to her room..." Her grin was predatory. "Brilliant. Alright. See you soon, gorgeous." She snapped the phone shut. "Someone will be along soon to show you around a bit more."

With those words, Haley sauntered off in the opposite direction. Brooke watched as the girl she'd previously thought to be nice and sweet had turned into a promiscuous vixen. She felt uneasy as she stood alone in the middle of the hallway - waiting for her escort - ad dreading who it could be.

"Newest lovely young thing?" Nathan asked, sneaking up on the girl from behind. He smirked as she leapt into the air, one hand at her chest.

"Oh, God, don't do that!" She cried, spinning around to come face to face with her escort. It was that boy. Haley's brother. The other girl had set her up! She scowled.

He just chuckled and shook his head, his hands buried in his pockets. "Shall we?" he questioned.

Brooke opened her mouth to say something but then just nodded.

"My parents..."

"-Are making arrangements for your luggage to be sent over from the hotel."

"They've made the deal already?" Brooke asked, disappointed to find that her parents had already sealed her fate at the school. "Don't worry," Nathan said sweetly as he put his arm around Brooke's shoulders. He was tall, and Brooke had to crane her neck up to look at him properly. "Everything will be fine. After all, you're in Haley's hands."

"That's what I'm worried about..." She replied, squirming, not exactly comfortable with being embraced by unfamiliar hands.

To her surprise, Nathan chuckled. "Ah, shown her true colors already, hey?" He 'tsked' and shook his head, before giving the shaking girl a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, Brooke, we're not all like her here..."

"Really?" she seemed slightly dubious at his comment.

He nodded. "Really." Pushing her forward gently, he decided to change tactics and lure her into a false sense of security. This one would be fun! "Anyway, let's give you a tour of the grounds, yeah?"

She nodded, gradually becoming more relaxed in his company.

Maybe Nathan was right. Maybe not everybody was like Haley.

-----

"Brooke Davis…" Haley said the name slowly as if she was contemplating something.

Nathan turned his head and faced his step-sister as she said the young girl's name.

"What do you think of her?" Haley questioned. Nathan shrugged.

"Seems nice. A little naïve…"

Haley nodded, "That she is. God, she makes me sick."

"I thought you liked her," Nathan said, somewhat amused. "You seemed _awfully_ keen on making her your new best friend." His tone was slightly mocking and Haley just rolled her eyes.

"Desperate times call for desperate measures," Haley took a sip of the brandy she'd swiped from her father's office.

"Ah yes, hence the wonderful display of sucking up I witnessed. You were just moments away from being Brooke's new step-mother."

Haley groaned, "Yeah well, Miss Davis has now graced our school with her presence, and thanks to her parents, we're forty thousand dollars richer. Yay for us."

"Wow, something's up your butt. And I don't see a football player anywhere…" Nathan ignored the glare Haley sent his way. "Brooke must really have put you in a tail-spin."

"She just bugs me," Haley inspected her nails, "That whole virgin thing just too… apple pie."

"So she has morals," Nathan took Haley's glass of brandy and filled it up, drinking it all at once. "And from what I hear, you did a good enough job of frightening her out of her skin."

"Someone had to. If I had to pretend to be Susie Sunshine for another second, I think I would have died."

"One can only hope," Nathan muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh, uh.. I said that she's not all bad."

Haley 'hmm'ed and bit her lip, "I have an idea."

"Really?"

"Uh huh..." She sighed, deciding she was overheating. Slowly, she unbuttoned her blouse, revealing the black lace beneath, seemingly oblivious to Nathan's wandering gaze.

"I mean," she continued, leaning forward, "Things are gettin' a little boring around here..." She moved closer to her step-brother and began stroking his chest. "Don'tcha think?"

Nathan, trying his best to remain cool and unfazed by her antics, rolled his eyes. "What's your idea?" he sighed heavily as if it was taking up so much of his time.

She shrugged and unbuttoned his shirt, opting to massage his shoulders. "Oh, you know...the usual, really..."

"What grade do you need changing? And why can't you sleep with them yourself?"

She forced a laugh, and slipped effortlessly into his lap. "Oh, Nate... you can be really silly sometimes..." Her hands began massaging other parts of his body. "This isn't about grades..."

"I'm not setting you up with Robert again..." Nathan warned, becoming increasingly warm, although he tried his best not to show it.

Sensing his dilemma, she took it upon herself to unzip his pants. "No... this is about entertainment, oh brother dear."

Nathan smirked, "This doesn't have to do with our bright, young thing, does it?"

"It might..." She leant forward and nibbled his earlobe, knowing that it drove him crazy. "She's just a little too plane-Jane for St. James', don't you think?"

Tejal - ...so much more than empty conversations filled with empty words... says:

"Yeah, but I give her a week before she contributes."

Haley sighed melodramatically, "Alas, dear brother, I think we might have our work cut out for us with this one. She seems to want to hold onto her precious morals."

"And what's wrong with that?"

She snorted. "The more people like her, the less people like you and I get laid."

Nathan sighed, "So what do you want to do about it?"

"Well...I was thinking we could show her the ropes..."

Nathan gave her a sideways glance and shook his head, chuckling under his breath, "I thought you'd already taken her under your wing."

"Well, I'm done," Haley announced, "I was thinking you could do something about it though."

He closed his eyes as her hands found his flesh. "What's in it for me, then?"

That is when her lips curled into a devilish grin, "Ah... that is the killer. If you... deflower our newest boarder, then I can get you into that High Baller or whatever basketball camp it is you wanted to go."

Nathan sat up, "But that place is booked solid. You can't possibly get me into High Flyers."

"On the contrary; I know one of the guys who runs it. One mind-blowing screw and you're in."

He sighed, feeling incredibly pressured to perform. Of course, that could also have had something to do with the hand that was playing with his now-erect member. He gasped. Make that the mouth...

"Haley..." He growled in frustration, grabbing her by the hair and pulling her face back up to his, "If you're making this shit up..."

She just let out a laugh, "Would I lie to you?" she asked sweetly. Nathan just glared, "Plus, you haven't even heard what I get if you lose."

That was true, he thought to himself. He was losing touch. Or, perhaps, he'd been distracted... "Alright... What do you get?"

She crossed her arms, "There's a music school in Italy. They're doing a summer program, and I'd love to go."

"So go."

She shook her head, "The bitch you call a mother put a stop to it. She told my dad that it's too much money and that he'd have no control over me. If you lose; you convince them to let me go."

"Is that it?" Haley nodded.

"That's it."

It seemed too simple. There had to be more to it than that. He voiced his thoughts. "You're not usually so easy to please..."

She grinned wickedly, and leapt from his lap. "But, predictably, you are."

He groaned. She'd left him high and dry, yet again.

"So..." she said as she let her hand wonder the tops of the bottles at the bar, "Do we have a deal?"

Nathan contemplated it, "High Flyers for sleeping with Brooke Davis?"

She chose a drink and poured herself a shot. "That's the deal."

Nathan scratched the back of his head, "Fine." he agreed. "It's a deal."

He held out a hand to shake it with hers, but Haley just pressed her lips to his. He could taste the alcohol that lingered on her lips.

"And if you do it within two weeks - you also get me." she promised, "Think of it as a bonus."

Due to his current aroused state, he didn't even bother to throw back a cruel comment that questioned the definition of 'bonus'. "You're on."

"Great," Haley said as she took a seat and faced the window, "Your time starts now. And she's right out there."

She pointed a perfectly manicured finger out of the window and pointed to the girl sitting underneath a tree reading a book.

Nathan followed her gaze and studied the young girl. She was attractive - no doubt about that - but he was sure this might not be an easy task.

He'd have to put out all the stops.

"Watch," Nathan said to Haley, "And get ready to sleep your way into getting me into High Flyers." he told her.

Haley just looked out of the window, sipping on her drink.

Brooke Davis, dressed in a sundress and sweater, looked every inch of a fine role model. Haley could see Nathan's form approach her.

With a smirk, she watched the beginning of the re-education of Brooke Davis.

-----


	2. The Games

**Strings – Chapter Two: The Games**

Brooke sat underneath the large tree, half-heartedly reading her book. She felt lost and more than a little vulnerable. Haley had turned out to be the anti-christ and she was stuck at this school without anyone to talk to. She sighed and watched as some other students milled about on the lawn, laughing at personal jokes and giggling amongst themselves. She was an outsider and she didn't like it.

But she wouldn't give in. She refused to sink to their level.

She tried to focus on the writing on the pages in front of her, but the world of Jane Austen became all the more ironic. Frustrated, she snapped the book shut and tossed it on the patch of grass beside her.

"Now what did that book ever do to you?" a familiar voice asked. Brooke jumped in surprise and faced Nathan Scott.

"Stop doing that," she replied.

Dropping down beside her, Nathan smiled. "Sorry...most people see me coming..."

She forced a smile. His phrasing was almost painful. "Yes, well..." She picked up her book, "I was distracted."

"Jane Austen," Nathan seemed impressed "You like her?"

Brooke nodded, "Yeah. You?"

Nathan shrugged, "I know most people think it's chick lit or whatever - but I think it's pretty cool. Just don't tell anyone I told you that," he gave her a cheeky grin as he leant in slightly, as if to tell her a secret.

Brooke nodded and smiled, "I promise."

"Most of her work can be applied to modern day times," he continued, attempting to remember a lecture he'd half fallen asleep in the previous semester. "I suppose adolescents have always had, and will always have, the same dilemmas..."

As he'd expected, she lapped it up.

"Dilemmas such as..." Brooke urged, genuinely interested in his option.

"Sex," Nathan said the word slowly so it sounded like the hissing of a snake. He leant closer towards her, in a somewhat intimate manner. "Relationships... Heartache..." His lips were almost brushing her earlobe, as he whispered the final word; "Desire."

"Morals," Brooke interrupted, pulling away from him, "Tradition... Love..." she told him, her heart beating at a thousand times its usual pace.

He nodded, "I suppose…"

"There's nothing wrong in the way things were done in her day. I don't understand why things changed."

Deciding he'd come on a little too strong, he pulled back and leant against the tree. "Technology, for one... and greed..." She began to warm to him again, thinking that perhaps she'd read too much into his 'come on', as she'd seen it.

"True," she mused, "The pursuit of those things corrupt our society, handing down tainted morals and beliefs to the next generation. That's something my parents always tried to protect me from."

"They seem like good people," Nathan commented.

"They are."

He found himself smiling a genuine smile. They _were_ good people. _She_ was good people...He stopped his train of thought there. _'No,' _he told himself. _'No attachments. High Flyers.'_ That was what mattered here.

"They are." He echoed, pondering on the best way to change the subject and get into her pants. "So, what else do you do besides read Austen?"

"I write. Not much but I write. Poems, articles... the beginnings of novels I never have time to finish."

"Really?" He asked, mildly intrigued. After all, what sorts of novels would she write? Certainly none of that Mills and Boon shit that his sexed-up conquests had enjoyed. "Any chance I could read them?"

She blushed and shook her head quickly, "Oh no. No, that would be... you can read my articles but... I believe that poetry and novels come from the heart. It's a way of baring your soul. It's private."

He was getting close. He could feel it. "Fair enough," he conceded, "But, I promise to show you mine if you show me yours." She moved to protest, and he held up his hand. "When you're ready, I mean." He was hoping that the double entendre was perceived as playful. Otherwise, the entire gig would be up before it even had a chance to begin.

"Oh, um, you write?" Brooke asked, clearing her throat and trying to convince herself that he was only talking literature.

"Sometimes," he shrugged. "I keep a...scrapbook, of sorts. Random things, you know. Musings, clippings of things that...interest me..." He shot her a flirtatious side-long glance, before adding. "No-one else knows about it, actually..."

"Like a diary?"

Nathan winced, "Okay, now that makes me sound like a thirteen year old girl with braces. I prefer to call it a…" he tried to find the appropriate word, "…journal."

"Journal." Brooke nodded in agreement. "Can I read this journal?" she asked sweetly, her pink tongue slightly grazed the top row of her white teeth as she awaited his answer.

Grinning, Nathan gave her a dose of her own medicine. "Well, as you said, it's private...baring of the soul and all that..." He, taking a leaf from his sister's book, looked away bashfully. "I'm not sure I'm ready for that just yet..." He looked back at her as innocently as possible. "Not that I don't see myself trusting you..."

The edges of Brooke's lips tugged slightly into a smile, "I understand," she replied.

"So, let's talk about you," Nathan said as he picked up a random leaf from the ground.

"Me?" she echoed.

"Yeah... I assume that since you're so... good," he stressed that last word, "You probably have never had a boyfriend, right?"

Brooke narrowed her eyes and shook her head, "On the contrary. I just don't think sex needs to be part of the dating game. And neither did he."

He raised his eyebrows slightly, "So what happened to your mystery man?"

"What makes you think we're still not together?"

Nathan smirked, "Because you said 'did'. Which means that you broke up and he found someone else to sleep with," he glanced at her. "Sorry, if I'm bringing up bad memories. I'm sure it must have hurt-"

"Actually," she said, clearing her throat, "Lucas and I are still good friends. And I broke up with him. There's no bad feelings between us. We're friends."

In his mind, he chuckled. How many times had he used the 'remain good friends' line? Outwardly, however, Nathan feigned an apologetic look. "I'm sorry, " he said, hoping it sounded genuine. "I'm just...not used to that happening around here, you know..." He had to stop himself from batting his lashes. "Forgive me?"

Brooke sighed, "You've never been friends with a girl, have you?" she correctly guessed.

He was vaguely offended. "I'll have you know-"

"-I said 'friends', not 'friendly'."

There was a distinction? He wondered.

"Well," he pulled himself up into a sitting position, "I could try... if you let me."

At the smirk on his face, she frowned. "Do I have to go through the 'friends' spiel properly?"

"Look, Brooke. I can already see that this is going to be different. I would love to be friends with you, and believe you me; you'll need someone like me around here."

"Because I'm a virgin?" she cocked her head to the side.

"No," he told her, displaying the first ounce of sincerity she'd seen, "Because you're different."

"It's the same thing, isn't it?" She folded her arms over her chest, determined to be petulant. "I'm a grown woman. I can fend for myself. I don't want you to be my 'protector' or whatever."

He shook his head, "Brooke, it's not going to make you more vulnerable to have me around. It's just going to make you fit in more. Make you feel less secluded. And if any guys try and get fresh with you, you'll have me. It's my way of looking out for you."

"Er..." She blushed, not really certain that anyone would want to get fresh with her, once they discovered her virginity. "Thanks...I think..."

"No problem," he got up from the ground, and held out a hand for her, "Shall we go and check out the cafeteria? Lunch is almost ready."

Acting impulsively, she extended her own hand and allowed him to help her up. "That sounds great."

From the upstairs window, Haley bit her lip and raised her eyebrows slightly.

Maybe she'd underestimated both Nathan and Brooke.

She knew that if she wanted any chance of going to Italy, she'd have to pull out the big guns and put a few hurdles out in front of Nathan.

Picking up the phone, she dialed a number, "Bernice, hey... I need a favor... what do you know about Brooke Davis?"

Haley listened to some of the information that came through, rolling her eyes at all the charitable work Brooke had done and how loved she was at her old school.

She seemed hopeful, however, when she heard something else from Bernice. Writing down a name and number, she thanked Bernice and hung up the phone.

As she dialed the new number, she waited impatiently for it to pick up.

"Oh hello, my name is Haley James-Scott. You must be Lucas... right?"

-------

After three days in Nathan's company, Brooke had found herself becoming more and more relaxed. They talked about literature, about school, and about family. Brooke sympathized with Nathan growing up with a neglecting father, and a step-father who sided with Haley all the time.

Nathan, for his part, found himself enjoying Brooke's company. This surprised him, as he'd never known a girl to be interesting in anything other than the bedroom. But she wasn't the type of girl he usually spent any time with. No; she was opinionated and intelligent...In fact, her IQ was probably far larger than those of each of his conquests combined...and he rather liked that.

Of course, it wasn't to say Nathan had neglected his _other_ activities. He still had girls streaming in and out of his room at all hours. He just had to pay more attention and make sure Brooke never found out.

Although, something had started to weigh heavily on his heart. Every time he was with another girl, he didn't enjoy it, and began wishing he was talking to Brooke.

And when he _was_ with Brooke, he couldn't help but feel like he was cheating on her.

It was almost like...

"Guilt."

Nathan snapped back to reality.

"Huh?" he asked. Brooke frowned.

"I said 'guilt'. Stanley has a lot of guilt towards Stella. That's why he's so nice to her. Especially after the poker scene."

Oh. Right. Nathan refrained from heaving a sigh of relief. Another close call like that and all his hard work would be for naught. He mustered a wry grin and opened his mouth to speak, only to be cut off.

"Say the 'Stella! Stella!' line once more, and I mean it, you'll be doing this essay on your own."

He rolled his eyes and nodded. "Alright, alright...So the Simpsons' quote-"

"Also black-banned."

Brooke couldn't help but stifle a grin as she scribbled down a few more notes.

"Can we watch the movie again?" Nathan asked.

"The essay is on the play - not the movie," Brooke chided for what felt like the millionth time that night.

"But the movie is-"

"So much more fun, I know." She shook her head. "And here I was thinking you were a mature adult, Nathan Scott."

Nathan grinned, "I could be grown-up..." he teased.

"And I could walk on the moon wearing bunny-slippers..." She shot back, scribbling notes onto a nearby piece of paper. Nathan watched as she brushed a stray lock of hair behind her ear, noticing, not for the first time, that she did that when flirting. It was like a nervous tick. He liked it.

And he could tell that his efforts were working.

"I was thinking," Nathan reclined back on her bed. She was sitting chastely at the desk, and turned her head to face him, "We've been spending a lot of time together lately..."

Despite herself, she blushed. "Oh...I...suppose so..." Was he bored of her company already? "I...er...I appreciate everything you've done for me..." She offered.

"-I want to spend more time with you," Nathan finished, effectively cutting her off. She stared at him.

"Uh... really?"

"Really." He scratched the back of his head, "So, do you want to... maybe... go out sometime?"

"But you barely know me..."

He smiled, trying to keep it as innocent as possible. "That's a yes?"

"I guess-"

"Great!" he jumped up, "Let's go out now!"

"Now?" she asked, as he pulled her up out of her chair, "But your essay!"

"It'll be there when we get back," he excused. "We've been studying for hours. It's time we relaxed a little," he took the opportunity to massage her shoulders briefly to emphasize his point.

Feeling her legs turn to jelly, she suppressed a shiver. The boy knew what he was doing, that was for sure...Her heart dropped. She didn't. She didn't want to either. Not for a while at least. But, as nice as he seemed, did Nathan want more?

She pulled away slowly.

"What's wrong?" He asked, knowing that he'd probably gone too far.

"Maybe we should finish the essay first..." she said, "Then go out for _lunch _tomorrow."

Well, it was better than nothing, he conceded. Time wasn't anywhere near up yet. He forced a smile. "Sounds like a plan."

She nodded with relief as she sat back down at her desk and stared at the notes. Suddenly she wished she'd put aside all her concerns and gone to dinner.

This essay seemed impossible.

There was a knock on the door and she frowned. Nathan was lying on the bed throwing a basketball up in the air.

"Want me to get it?" he asked. She gave him a nod, and he opened the door.

Coming face to face with another man, he scowled. "Who the hell are you?"

Brooke spun around at that, and her eyes widened in surprise, before she leapt up from her seat and pushed past Nathan. Flying into her visitor's arms, she cried; "Lucas!"

Nathan was not impressed.

"Hey crazy girl," Lucas laughed as he held his friend in his arms. "I take it you're glad to see me?" He let Brooke down gently and she punched him lightly on the arm.

"You didn't call!" she protested.

"But you love surprises," he gushed.

In the background, Nathan tried his best not to gag. This was just _perfect_.

Not.

Straightening himself up, he decided to use his role as alpha male of the school to his advantage. He sauntered to Brooke's side and slung his arm around her shoulders, daring Lucas to comment. Extending his hand, he spoke crisply. "Nathan Scott. My step-father owns this school." He smiled dangerously. "You wouldn't be trespassing now, would you?"

Brooke laughed. "Oh, stop messing around, Nathan..."

Lucas just smiled in return, "Actually, I just transferred. Basketball scholarship or something."

"Funny." Nathan remarked, "We don't have one of those."

"According to your sister, you do now." Lucas replied.

Haley would die. This was all her doing. Nathan forced a bark of laughter. "Oh, the request must have gone through then." He shrugged nonchalantly, "Haley doesn't tell me anything, these days."

To his annoyance, both Brooke and Lucas ignored his last comment.

"So, when did this happen?" Brooke asked pulling Lucas into her room, seemingly forgetting Nathan's presence.

"Uh, I got the call a couple of days ago, actually," Lucas replied, settling down onto the bed, in almost the exact same position as Nathan before him. "I wasn't even aware that Dad had contacted schools..."

"That's because he didn't, you idiot." Nathan seethed under his breath. Haley had a lot of explaining to do.

"And I decided that this is too good of an opportunity to pass up- so I got on board the first plane and came here. They've got a place in High Flyers so I'm working towards that."

Now Nathan was mad.

"High Flyers? That's amazing! Nathan, did you hear?" she turned to Nathan, expecting him to be as ecstatic as she was.

"Yay," he said somewhat miserably.

As if noticing his demeanor for the first time, she frowned. "What's wrong?"

_Oh, my step-sister, who I occasionally fuck on the side, has just made my chances of getting into High Flyers even slimmer...Oh, and I think I'm actually attracted to you, intellectually and physically, and your ex has just shown up and will probably get you in bed before I get the chance._

"Nothing. Look, I've gotta get going. You guys...catch up..."

"We can go for dinner!" Lucas suggested, garnering Brooke's attention. She grinned.

"Oh, I'm so hungry. There's this great place on..."

Nathan slipped out of the door and groaned loudly. Kicking the wall in front of him, he marched straight to his step-sister's room.

She was waiting for him, wearing nothing but her black-lace number. He swore that was all she owned. Slamming her door shut, he hollered; "What the _fuck_ are you playing at!"

"Ah, just on time," she said as she sat herself down on her recliner, "I see you got my gift."

"Why are you screwing this up for me?" Nathan asked.

"It's a challenge, Nate. I'm just making it a little more... challenge-y. You honestly didn't think I'd make it easy for you..."

"You're breaking the rules!"

She laughed wickedly, enjoying his torment. "Hon, I make the rules."

"High Flyers?" Nathan said, "You offered him High Flyers? That's _mine_!"

She pretended to inspect her nails. "Like I said...I'm making it more interesting..." She looked up brightly. "For me." She shrugged. "I was getting bored."

Nathan clenched his jaw and sighed deeply.

"You're not getting away with this," he said, "One way or another, I'll win and you're going to be fucking some guy to get me into High Flyers."

"Uh huh..." She rolled her eyes. His cranky-little-boy act was getting old. "Whatever you say, Nate."

With that, Nathan stormed out of the room and began strategizing. He had to keep Brooke with him. For all he knew, Lucas could be working with Haley to thwart his attempts.

A smirk crept upon his lips. He was going to dinner after all.

-----------

Brooke couldn't remember the last time she and Lucas had gone for dinner like this. It had obviously been before they'd broken up, which was more than four months ago; yet it almost seemed so natural.

"So St. James' seems like…" Lucas said as Brooke rolled her eyes.

"Oh gosh," she leant back in her seat, "Definitely not what it seems."

Lucas nodded his head, "Do you like it?"

Brooke shook her head, "It doesn't live up to the brochure. I don't like the students and they don't seem to like me," her mind wandered to Haley. "Most of them have two facades; the butter-wouldn't-melt-in-her-mouth look, and the femme-fatale look. No-one is real here."

"So, why don't you leave?" Lucas asked, "If you don't enjoy it…"

"And go to California?" Brooke shook her head, "No way. Plus, my parents would be so disappointed. St. James' is a really prestigious school and I'm not about to give up just because I don't have the same agenda as everyone else."

Lucas smirked, "Still the same old Brooke Davis, huh?" He asked. "You always wanted to be the pioneer of something."

"Yeah well… it's not _all_ bad," she smiled slightly as she leant forward as if to whisper a secret. "There are some good people."

"And by _good_, you're talking about Nathan, right?" Lucas queried. Brooke shrugged.

"We've been hanging around a little… a lot, actually." She noticed the scowl on her friend's face, "I know you probably disapprove…" she began.

"I've heard a lot about him-"

"A lot? Lucas, you've only been here half a day!"

"Hey, rumors travel fast," Lucas reminded her.

"And that's what they are, Lucas; rumors." Brooke replied as she took a sip of her drink, "I've heard some stuff about him too, and I have to say, the guy people make him out to be is not the guy I've been spending time with these last three days."

"I'm just worried," Lucas told her earnestly, placing a hand on top of hers, "I don't want you to get hurt because you're too… naïve."

"Lucas…" Brooke sighed with hint of annoyance.

"I'm sorry, Brooke. I know it's not my place to say, but at the end of the day; who are you going to trust? Your oldest friend, or some guy who is sweet talking you into his bed?"

Brooke clenched her jaw as she thought about Lucas' warning. Sure, she'd heard some stuff wafting through the school halls. But she was a cautious person. She didn't just jump into things without thinking things through. And so far, Nathan hadn't tested her trust.

Not like Lucas anyway.

Suddenly, Brooke was reminded of a dinner months ago where the two of them sat just like this and Lucas was begging her to trust him.

She had, only to find that he'd lied, cheated and broken her heart.

"How is Peyton anyway?" Brooke asked crossing her arms. She could see the visible flash of hurt cross his eyes. He looked down at his plate uncomfortably.

"We…uh, we broke up." He confessed.

"Hmmm…" Brooke couldn't help but be pleased. Lucas had slept with Peyton just hours after they'd broken up. She had suspected something was going on between the two 'lab partners', but, when confronted, Lucas insisted on his innocence and virginity.

After her back turned, however, chemistry took a _different_ turn.

"Brooke, you know I'm sorry about that," Lucas apologized. "You and me… we're just different. I know what you want to do, and I respect that, but abstinence just wasn't for me."

"Let's not talk about this now," Brooke cleared her throat. Reliving past pain wasn't what she wanted to spend her evening doing.

'What are we talking about?" A new voice asked from behind her. Brooke turned to see Nathan standing over their table.

"A private matter," Lucas piped up, making no secret of his feelings towards the other man. Nathan ignored him and pulled up a chair, sitting in between them.

Brooke couldn't help but grin at him. "So... your other plans?"

He waved his hand about, "Cancelled. Would you believe it? Cancelled on _me_?"

"Somehow," she responded, casting her mind back to a mere hour or so ago, where he'd been intent on dragging her to dinner, "I think I can."

Nathan rubbed his hands together, "So I guess I'm free tonight. There's a great club nearby and the night is young. What do you say?" he asked Brooke.

"Well, I'm a little beat... jet lagged...so-" Lucas began.

Nathan looked back at him in mock disappointment. "Oh, that's too bad...You'd probably best head off to bed, then. What with basketball trials in the morning and all...Such a pity." He turned back to Brooke. "Looks like it's you and I then, toots."

Brooke's eyes flicked between the blonde and the brunette. She knew the sensible thing to do would be to go back to her room - but another part of her wanted to prove to Lucas that Nathan was a good guy, and that she could live for the moment.

"Sure," she gave Nathan a dimpled grin.

"What?" Lucas spluttered. "Brooke-"

She shot him a nasty look. "I want to go." She glanced back at Nathan, tucking her hair safely behind her ear. "I'd love to, actually."

Lucas bit back a growl as he saw Nathan give him a smug look, "You know, I'm not actually that tired-" he began.

"No, no..." Nathan patted his shoulder, "There'll be heaps of chances to go out as a group later...What you really want to do is make sure you're prepped properly for the scholarship trial in the morning. We'd hate to lose you so soon." His eyes, naturally, said otherwise.

Begrudgingly, Lucas watched as Brooke and Nathan got up and walked away from the table. Lucas' eyes narrowed as he saw the way Nathan placed his hand on the small of Brooke's back; a gesture Lucas was accustomed to.

Oh, Nathan Scott was definitely_not_ a good boy. He knew the signs well. After all, he'd exhibited them himself.

As he rose from the table and paid the bill, Lucas made his decision then and there; Nathan Scott was going down.

**To Be Continued…**


	3. The Things We Want

**Strings - Chapter Three: The Things We Want**

Lights pulsed, the ground vibrated with bass, glasses chinked. The club was loud and full of life. Brooke swayed her hips to the song currently being mixed. She found that she quite enjoyed this atmosphere. It was social, people were friendly, and she was rather tipsy. It was nice, really. She felt relaxed...strangely void of inhibitions.

So this was what it was to be intoxicated. Inebriated. Drunk.

She surveyed her surroundings, not for the first time that night. There were bright colors, and people were a little more blurry than when she'd entered...Still, she could think... albeit disjointedly, so, really, she wasn't all that wasted, was she?

Of course she wasn't. Over in the corner, she could see a girl being propped up by two of her girlfriends. And in another, was a drunken couple overindulging on PDA.

She wasn't that drunk.

A hand landed on her behind and she closed her eyes, enjoying the feeling only momentarily, before thwacking the offending limb soundly. No, she wasn't that drunk at all.

She spun around to see Nathan nursing his hand, a small pout forming on his lips. She gave him a grin.

"Now now," She slurred, patting him on the cheek. "We had a deal..." She furrowed her brow. "I think..." She cocked her head to the side. "Did we?"

He wrapped his arms around her waist, "I was only dancing," he told her. She giggled.

"You keep telling yourself that, Mister." she felt herself burning up, "I think I need a drink."

"Sure. I'll get you one," Nathan offered.

"Of water!" she added quickly.

He nodded and made his way to the bartender, "Can I have a shot of vodka, please?" he asked. The drink was quickly served up and he snaked through the crowds to find Brooke sitting at a table; her head in her hands.

"Here you go," he said.

"Is that water?" she questioned. He nodded.

"Of course."

She downed the glass, and moved to stand, before swaying on her feet. Suddenly, she didn't feel so good...

"Nathan..." She began, sounding somewhat meek.

"I've got you," he said as he slid her arm over his shoulder, "I'll take you home."

She batted her lashes at him, having seen Haley do so a number of times. "Yours?" She sounded rather keen.

Nathan gulped and shook his head, "No, yours."

He knew that since his bedroom was dangerously close to Haley's, there was a bigger chance of her seeing them - and knowing her, putting a stop to it.

Plus, Nathan didn't have girls sleeping over. He slept over their's. It was less messy to have him leave, rather than them.

"Oh..." She sounded dejected now. Then her eyes brightened, and she gripped onto his shirt, the material fisted up in her palms. "You'll stay with me?"

The plea in her voice made him ache with need, and he was surprised to find that it was an emotional ache as well as physical.

He nodded, "Sure."

As they found their way back to the school, and into her bedroom, Nathan placed her gently on the bed; watching as she curled up slightly and her eyes closed instantly.

"Brooke..." he whispered, checking if she was awake or not.

"Hmmm?" she said somewhat groggily, indicating that she was obviously half-asleep.

He reached out tentatively to brush her hair from her face. "Brooke... I..." He felt his breath hitch. She was lying there beside him, looking as innocent as – well – innocence personified. So pretty, so very pretty. And vulnerable, too. God, he could take her right there. She'd be willing enough. But somehow... it felt wrong. A hollow victory.

"Hmmm?" She asked again, her eyes fluttering open.

He felt some part of him snap inside. How could he even contemplate destroying her? Leaning forward, he pressed his lips chastely to her forehead. "Goodnight, Brooke." As he spoke, the words tore him up inside. What was he doing? This was his chance! High Flyers was so damn close.

"Night..." She murmured, before dozing off again.

No, it would still happen, but not like this. She'd be conscious when she gave herself to him. Conscious, willing and his.

Nathan rose from the bed and turned around before he changed his mind.

"Nathan..." the words were almost too quiet for him to here.

"Yeah?" he asked, closing his eyes and wishing he'd just left.

"You're staying, right?" she asked.

He swallowed, and turned back to face her. "Of course, babe. Just..." He grabbed a pillow and threw it to the ground. "...doing what's right."

He knew that, on some level, she'd acknowledge his actions as those of a gentleman. It was a pity that he would spend the night thinking of all the lewd things he'd do to her. It was sad that, as she slept on, he'd work himself to completion with those thoughts in mind.

He was no gentleman.

He was a predator.

And soon, very soon, she'd be just another victim on his list.

But tonight he would pretend that he was good, if only to watch her sleep. If only to imagine an existence where they were compatible. Where things were less complicated.

Nathan stayed awake for a little while, eventually succumbing to the night and falling asleep on the hard, cold floor.

------

Brooke awoke slowly, her head throbbing and memories of the night before hazy and uncomphrensable. Her throat hurt and she had a foul taste in her mouth.

As she sat herself up, she noticed she was still in the clothes from the previous night, and she suddenly panicked about how she got there.

She swung her legs over the edge of the bed, her head protesting at the sudden movement. But then her pain was forgotten as she noticed the crumpled heap on the floor that was Nathan. "Oh, boy..." She muttered.

She shook him awake and the young man opened his eyes.

"Hi," she said apologetically, "How are you?"

"I'm fi..." he began as he shuffled on the floor. The aches and pains of spending the night on a hard floor caught up with him, "...pretty uncomfortable actually."

She blushed, remembering glimpses of the previous night. "I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have asked you to stay."

"It's not a problem," Nathan insisted. "Anything for you."

She blushed, "It's late," she told him, "We'd better get ready before breakfast."

Nathan nodded; she wanted him out of the room before anybody saw and misunderstood.

"Sure. I need a shower anyway," he told her as he unraveled himself from the blanket he'd found to drape over him last night.

She averted her eyes as he made his way to the door, despite the fact that he was fully clothed. "I'll see you in a few, then." He added.

"Thank you," she told him as he made his way to the door, "For staying and... being a gentleman."

He nodded in her direction and left, allowing her to her own devices.

She heaved a sigh of relief and dropped onto the bed, before grinning like a mad-woman. He'd been such a gentleman. Nothing like the rumors had painted him and so sweet. She gathered up the blankets he'd slept in and brought them to her face, breathing in his scent.

------

Nathan walked towards his bedroom, a mix of tiredness and aches overcoming his body.

"Well, well, well," Haley stood outside his doorway in her uniform, "Look what the cat dragged in."

"Oh, get bent, will you?" Was his only retort, before slamming the door in her face.

She, naturally, let herself right back in. "Temper, temper." She cooed. "You missed out on a fuck, didn't you?" She was positively glowing.

Nathan scowled at her as he undid his shirt and pulled off his shoes.

"Shut up, Haley." he warned.

She did no such thing, "Let me guess… you got soft? You're getting that tingling sensation in the pit of your stomach every time you think of her?" she poked a finger down her throat, "Gag me."

"If only..." Nathan muttered.

"So I guess this means I win," Haley exclaimed.

He spun around, his eyes flashing with barely concealed rage. "I've got days left! You win nothing!" He hesitated. "Except, perhaps, a swift kick in the ass!"

She tutted, "Come on, Natey. If you haven't got into her pants by now, you never will. You may as well accept it."

"I'm working on it," he told her, "I want to take my time. Get her to trust me before I do it."

Her smile widened, "Why, I never knew you were such a sadist. You're going to break her heart into itty bitty pieces. We haven't done that for a while."

He hated himself as a wicked grin crept onto his lips. "Only for you, Haley. Only for you."

"So... you're taking a shower?" she queried, letting her eyes glance down his naked chest.

"Without you, yes."

She gave him a pout, "Come on..." she said sweetly, "You really don't want to do that now, do you? Who else can reach into all those... nooks?" she whispered in his ear as she straddled his lap.

"Besides, I bet you're still..." she wiggled about deliberately, "A little needy after last night. Poor rabbit, I can make it all better for you..."

Nathan sighed as he took her by the shoulders and pushed her off his lap.

"Don't worry," he replied using the same sweet tone she was using, "I think I can manage all by myself. After all - I'm a big boy now."

She frowned. "But doesn't it feel so much better when I do it?"

He bit back a laugh. "No. Now get out."

She groaned in frustration and stormed out of his room, allowing Nathan a chance to be alone and gather his thoughts.

He stripped and entered the shower, willing himself to not think back on the previous night. He refused to entertain the notion that he cared any more for Brooke than a friend. He also refused to acknowledge the fact that his actions last night had been almost ethical.

It was all part of his master plan, he told himself, and there were no emotions involved.

But then the image of her, asleep and innocent, flew into his mind, unbidden. It threw him off completely. She was so sweet... so pure... so nice... It didn't seem right to use her.

He hit the shower wall in frustration.

The lines had started to blur.

"What are you doing to me?" He mumbled, closing his eyes and leaning against the cool tiles.

-----

Lucas checked his breath and ran a hand through his hair, preparing himself to knock on his ex's door. It wasn't as though he was uneasy with the situation, rather that he was still reeling from being brushed off so easily the evening before. Taking a fortifying breath he knocked rapidly on the door and waited.

Brooke opened the door and looked at the blonde in front of her.

"Hey," she smiled at him, though her head was still throbbing even after her long shower.

He flashed her an easy smile in return. "Hey."

She looked at him, expectantly. After all, he had knocked on _her_ door.

"I was wondering if you wanted to join me for breakfast." He eventually said, rubbing the back of his neck, "You know; if you had no other plans."

"Breakfast sounds good," she agreed a sudden grumble vibrating in her stomach indicating her hunger, "Just let me brush my hair." she motioned to the wet mass of locks that fell from her head and over her shoulders, a few stray drops falling onto the floor.

"Oh," Lucas looked at her up and down, "I hadn't noticed." he grinned. She shook her head.

"Still the charmer, huh?"

"Always."

She rolled her eyes, and invited him in. He dropped, unceremoniously, onto her bed, and allowed his gaze to traverse the room. It eventually landed on a lump of blankets and pillows on the floor.

Someone had stayed the night.

He frowned.

"Had company?" He asked, his tone as light as he could manage.

Brooke braced herself for the lecture, "Yeah, actually. Nathan spent the night... on the floor."

'_Yeah,' _Lucas thought bitterly. _'Probably kept his paws all to himself while you slept, too.'_

"I see." He waited a beat. "Does he, erm, do that often?"

"No," Brooke replied, "I was... a little tipsy last night and so he looked after me. Perfect gentleman."

The situation was looking worse and worse, from Lucas' point of view. "Uh huh."

He mustn't have sounded too convinced, by the look she was giving him. He summoned yet another light-hearted smile.

"C'mon, Brooke. Look at it from where I'm sitting. He sees a gorgeous girl and decides to get her a little drunk and then plays the good boy routine to score points."

"I know how he comes across, Lucas, but you don't see him the way I do. He's kind and sweet and I trust him. I know you're jealous-"

"Jealous?" His laugh sounded forced, even to his own ears. "I was stupid to let you go, Brooke, I know but I'm looking out for you here. As a friend, nothing more than that."

"Well you could _be_ a friend and support me rather than tell me what to do!" Brooke told him.

"I'm not telling you what to do," he replied, holding his hands up in surrender. "I'm just worried for you. You're a sweet, caring, loving girl and I don't want to see you hurt."

"Too late for that..." Brooke mumbled under her breath. Lucas pretended not to hear it. "Anyway, I really want you to give Nathan a chance. He is a good guy. We're going out tonight."

"You're going out again?" Lucas questioned, "The Brooke Davis I know never goes out on a schoo-"

"-Maybe you don't know me anymore." She snapped, her hands on her hips. "Maybe you never knew me." She hesitated, then quietly added, "Not really, anyway."

"What has gotten into you?" Lucas asked; her behavior was new to him. 'Or _who_ has gotten into you?' he thought to himself.

"What has gotten into _me_?" She echoed. "What has gotten into _you_? What do you think? You can just turn up on my doorstep, out of the blue, after everything we've been through, and just start ordering me around? Did you think I would leap back into your arms after everything that's happened, simply because you surprised me?"

"No..." Lucas began.

"You're my best friend here, Lucas, and right now you're not acting like one."

Weighing up the pros and cons of continuing the argument or letting her win, he sighed in resignation. She would win this time, if only so he could remain in her good books long enough to get rid of this Nathan guy.

"You're right." He said, trying his hardest to sound apologetic. "I'm sorry." Puppy-eyes on, he cocked his head to the side and smiled. "Forgive me?"

Brooke let out a deep sigh and nodded, "Of course. I'm just... I really like Nathan and I want people to see what I see in him. I'm sorry for snapping at you like that."

He grinned, and wrapped her in a hug. "It's fine. I'll try not to be so overprotective next time."

Brooke grinned up at him, "So... are we going to breakfast or not because right now I could eat you."

He laughed and shook his head, linking their arms together. "C'mon," he said, tugging her out of her room and into the hall. "I'm starved too."

------

"Come in," Haley invited the person on the other side of her bedroom door to enter.

Lucas entered, making himself at home on her bed. "I have bad news for you."

"Not what I usually like to hear," Haley mused as she turned to face him, her arms still clamped firmly across her chest, "but go on."

"Well," he began, "I turned up bright and early this morning to see if my lovely ex wanted to do breakfast, and it was kinda obvious that someone had spent the night..."

Haley's eyes widened, "Nathan won the bet?" she cried, her dreams of going to music school in Italy quickly fading, "Why didn't you tell me earlier?"

As she advanced on him, looking completely murderous, Lucas held up his hands in surrender. "Whoa, hold on. He stayed, but Brooke assures me that he spent the entire night on the floor."

"The floor?" Haley repeated stopping just inches away from him. She sighed and smirked, "So you're still in the game?" she asked. Lucas nodded.

"She's talking about how trustworthy he is... about how he's such a great friend. And she gets all dreamy when she does it! For my years of trying, I got nothing but I think he's in with a chance to pop her cherry..." He scowled. "Bastard."

Haley snapped her fingers to get his attention back, "Focus, Lucas. How serious are they?"

"Close to doing the dirty." He replied, meeting her gaze. "They're serious. Or, at the very least, she's serious about him."

Haley sighed and tapped her cheek with her index finger as she thought. "Well, it's your job to make sure that doesn't happen. Otherwise you can kiss goodbye to High Flyers and I'll be spending the summer stuck here."

Oh no, Lucas thought, there was no way in _hell _that he would let High Flyers go. His jaw clenched. "Don't you worry," he smirked as he pushed himself from her bed. "I'll make sure that doesn't happen."

Haley smiled, "Good. Now," she moved towards her desk and wrote down an address, "This is the name of the restaurant my brother usually takes whatever floozy he's got this week."

Lucas' eyes narrowed at the term 'floozy' used to describe Brooke. Still, this was his ticket to High Flyers and he wasn't going to blow his chances over a simple title. He accepted the paper with a nod.

As he walked across to the door to leave, Haley called out his name. "Lucas?" he turned, "Don't come back here again until I get results."

He nodded and grinned, "Yes ma'am." Then he was gone.

**To Be Continued...**


	4. The Battle Lost

_So sorry for the über-long delay. I completely forgot about this fic. I hope you enjoy it anyway!_

**Chapter Four: The Battle Lost**

Much to Lucas' irritation, his former girlfriend was becoming increasingly attached to Nathan Scott. During the past week, she was rarely seen without him, sparking rumors throughout the school that she would finally be the one to tame the infamous playboy of St James'.

Said playboy, meanwhile, was having similar thoughts of his own and they were terrifying him. This was all just a game still, wasn't it? It was his ticket to the big league, as the saying went. It wasn't serious. It couldn't be.

There were times, such as the previous evening, where the two had gone out to dinner at a local diner. The laidback atmosphere of the place had allowed the two to get to know one another better. Caught up in the moment, Nathan had found himself smiling genuinely throughout the course of the evening. He'd had to continuously remind himself that he was only playing a game. That he was only making jokes and telling Brooke stories of his childhood because of the bet and _not_ because he felt the any sort of connection with the young brunette.

Yes, that was exactly it. Or, at least, that was what he told himself.

Brooke, for her part, was thoroughly enjoying herself. And to think, she'd been worried that Nathan was some sexed-up, _sleazy_ co-ed. The past week had been the best of her life, and that included the Lucas years. Certainly, she'd loved Lucas... but this thing with Nathan felt so much more intense.

So it was no wonder why she didn't like Lucas' occasional comments and warnings against her new boyfriend.

Brooke blushed at the thought. The two hadn't really confirmed their dating status. They had been together for most of the time, and had been out on dates which had ended with kisses on more than one occasion, but she'd never referred to him as her 'boyfriend' before.

Just thinking it brought a smile to her face and caused a thrill of excitement to course through her veins. Boyfriend. Nathan was, for all intents and purposes, her Boyfriend with a capital 'B'.

"All I'm saying," there Lucas went again. Brooke rolled her eyes and purposely concentrated on her algebra homework as Lucas sat on her bed and went off on yet another anti-Nathan lecture, "You don't really _know_ him. You just _think_ you do."

"Luke," she began for what held the hundredth time that day; her tone was one of warning. "Drop it, all right? I'm a big girl. I can look after myself."

Lucas held up his hands in defeat but still continued, "I'm only looking out for you. You've known the guy for... three days."

"Eleven!"

"And can you _really_ know somebody in eleven days?" he asked. She narrowed her eyes at him.

"I knew you for eleven hours before you asked me out." She challenged.

He glowered. "Yes, but I never stayed in your bed!"

"Oh for crap's sake!" She seethed. "Nathan has slept over the _one time_. On the floor, I might add! I've told you this over and over again, and if you think that just because I like the guy I'm going to jump into bed with him, you obviously don't know me as well as you keep saying you do."

Lucas sighed, realizing he was beginning to lose the battle. He glanced over at her crossed legs. "Just keep them closed, okay?" His suggestion was met with a hard punch from the girl

"Get out of my room, Lucas." She ground out, trying to stop herself from lunging at her friend. "_Now_."

Deciding it was best to follow her instructions for his own safety, Lucas got off the bed and walked across the room to the door, opening it up to find Nathan with a smirk etched across his face.

"Lucas," the other man was clearly amused. "Going so soon?"

"Just for a little while, so I wouldn't get too comfortable." Lucas glared pointedly at him.

Having caught the tail end of the argument from the hallway, Nathan nodded in condescendence. "Of course." He flashed Brooke a dazzling smile. "With such a hospitable lady, I can see how easy that is..."

Lucas growled under his breath and made a point of pushing past the other man, knocking shoulders against him and sending him reeling back a little. Although Lucas' pride in doing so was cut short with his old shoulder injury acting up again.

Seeing him wince, Nathan stuck out an arm in what looked to be support. "Careful there, Tiger," he grinned. "You wouldn't want to hurt yourself while you're here on a sports scholarship." Only Lucas could see the underlying threat.

Nathan stepped into Brooke's room and shut the door behind him, "Squinty McSquint bugging you about me again!" he asked.

She sighed. "It's just because he cares, really he does."

He didn't look very convinced.

"I'm serious. I mean, he thinks he's looking out for me. Playing the big brother card now that boyfriend's off the table." She blushed and batted her lashes. "It is off the table, right?"

Nathan was taken somewhat by surprise. "Well... uh, I kind of assumed it was." He edged closer to the girl, putting on the Nathan Scott charm. "We've had fun the past few..." He thought it best not to say 'days', "…dates."

She smiled back up at him, full of innocence and naiveté. He felt his heart clench, and he refused to acknowledge what it might mean. This was supposed to be fun. She would enjoy herself and he would make sure of it.

But looking into her eyes, he couldn't help but feel guilty.

Brooke pushed her algebra homework away from the desk and stood up, "So if we're together, does that mean I'm your girlfriend?"

"I thought I'd made it obvious that you most definitely are." Nathan responded softly, a gentle smile playing on his lips.

Yes, just like his step-sister, he had subtle manipulation down to an art.

It was something he was proud of. He was an A-grade actor and had the impeccable timing of an improvisational artist. Plus, he was damn good looking.

And yet, he couldn't help but feel that he was floundering in this piece. As though he had lost control of the scene and the supporting cast was out-acting him.

He banished the thoughts from his mind. They simply wouldn't do. Not when he was so close to the final scene.

He was determined, after all, to get his happily ever after.

Of course, he forgot the fact that, more often than not, the best endings were also those that were the most unexpected.

Brooke's voice brought him back to reality.

"Do you want to hang out?" she asked, "I really don't feel like doing my homework and Lucas has been getting on my nerves."

Ah, that was music to his ears. He broke into a genuine grin. "That sounds like the best idea I've heard all day."

--------

Three hours later, Brooke and Nathan had found themselves playing an intense game of tongue tennis on top of her bed.

Nathan had gotten a little ahead of himself and attempted some subtle tactics, but Brooke made sure he wouldn't succeed, pushing his hands away when they wandered too near to places she didn't want them and occasionally breaking away slightly to give them both a chance to breathe.

Once or twice she thought that she'd heard him growl in frustration but those thoughts were pushed away.

If he really cared about her, he would respect her decisions.

Needless to say, Nathan was thoroughly enjoying himself. He had Brooke right where he wanted her, and it was only a matter of time before she gave herself to him. In the mean time, he would make sure to enjoy every moment leading up to what promised to be a glorious event. He wasn't exactly in any rush - he still had three days to complete his task - and the girl _did_ possess a very talented tongue.

That would happen soon enough, he told himself.

Brooke's hands found his shoulders and pushed him away from her. "Nathan..." she began.

"Brooke..." he continued as he pressed his lips against hers again, hoping to make her forget whatever she was going to say. If they stopped, it would give doubt an opportunity to creep in - and that was the last thing he wanted. He'd worked too hard for this.

She pulled away from the kiss and spoke before he could stop her. "Nathan, I... I think I love you."

That was more than enough to stop Nathan from what he was doing.

"What?" he asked. The deal had been to sleep with her, not get her to fall in love with him.

"I love you," she said a little more confidently.

His mind reeled. Was this some sort of bookwormish prelude to sex? If so, he had to tell her, it wasn't exactly making Nathan Jr. want to continue. It was, instead, making his heart race with panic and Mr. Floppy was rapidly making his return.

She touched his lips slightly, "Do you love me?" she asked. She sounded almost like a child and Nathan could see clouds of regret beginning to form behind her eyes. He realized that if he wanted a chance to win the bet and get to High Flyers, he'd have to play along.

And if he broke her heart, then so be it. In a month or so he would be playing against the best young basketball players in the country and she'd be easy to forget.

She was just another conquest.

He forced a smile and nodded, "Me too, babe." He dipped his head forward towards her but she pulled back.

Her lower lip quavered slightly and he frowned. Perhaps that had been a little less than the romantic outburst that she'd been expecting.

He swallowed. _'High Flyers, Nate. Think of High Flyers.'_

Cupping her face gently, he conjured a weak smile. "I love you, too, Brooke."

Her face broke out into a huge grin and she placed a tender kiss on his cheek. "So you understand that I want to wait? That I can't do this until it feels right."

'_What? But... High Flyers'!_

He fought the urge to groan.

"Of course I understand." _How could he fix this? How! _Then it hit him, and he smiled somewhat suggestively. "Besides... there are a lot of things we can do before hand." And he was counting on his talents in those areas to bring her to that breaking point.

Sliding his hand down to her shoulder, and then her breast, he leant forward for a slow, sensual kiss.

_'Oh please, God, Let this work.'_

When she pulled away and removed his hand, he knew he didn't have a chance in heaven, let alone hell.

"Look, this really means a lot to me." She told him firmly, "Lucas told me he understood and then proceeded to boink the first blonde floozy that came along. I need to know that you won't do the same."

"I would never do that to you," he responded before attempting to lighten the mood by adding, "Blondes really aren't my style."

She rolled her eyes and chuckled.

"I love you, Brooke." He repeated, the words beginning to feel more comfortable in his mouth. "Which is why I think we should get married."

She gaped at him. "Look, if you don't really want to wait for the sex. I'll understand if you want to, you know, break up." She shifted into a sitting position.

Which is precisely what Nathan didn't want. He knew Brooke valued a monogamous, committed relationship and everything would be lost if they broke up.

"No, _no_!" He began doing some damage control, "I meant that… I know we've only known each other for a little while but I want to spend the rest of my life with you." Nathan was surprised how easily the lines fell out of his mouth. He was weaving lies faster than he could think of them. But it seemed to do the trick.

Eyeing him skeptically for a moment, she softened. "You're serious, aren't you?"

"Like the plague," he tried to joke.

"People don't get married in high school."

"Why not? What if it just feels right?" He asked. "Who cares if we're in high school?"

"Our parents would kill us!"

"Yes, I can see how my parents would just hate for me to have married such a smart, kind, caring all-around American girl. Your parents on the other hand…" he rolled his eyes, "Whatever happens, I have a trust fund."

"Won't your parents cut you off?" Brooke asked. "I know mine would."

"So? I'll work for a living."

"You wouldn't last a day!" Brooke laughed. Nathan shrugged.

"Fine, then you can work. You can sell your body and I'll be your pimp and together we'll ride off happily into the sunset… or crack house."

"You're making this sound so tempting!" Nathan took hold of her hands.

"Brooke, we can make this work."

"If this is about se-" she began. He shook his head forcefully, willing her to rid those thoughts out of her mind.

"No! This is because I've never felt this way before. Nobody really knows me like you do. Nobody's ever given me the chance that you've given me. It's easy for people to see the tough, playboyish exterior but none of them ever looked close enough to see the real me. Not until you came along." Nathan had begun the speech as means to get her to agree, but for some reason the words had stuck a chord in his body and before he knew it, he had been speaking from his heart.

"Oh, Nathan…" she sighed.

"Brooke Davis, please marry me." He proposed, though he made it a point not to look directly in her eyes.

Brooke's head willed her to be reasonable and attempt to see beneath the surface of his proposal. It knew she was too young, too reckless and too naïve to rush into marriage and the last thing she wanted to do was screw up her life and break her parents' hearts in the process.

But her heart… Her heart told her something different. It drowned out the logical voices in her head and told her that this was romance. This was love. This was everything that she'd been waiting for.

"I'm going to regret this…" she said to nobody in particular before turning to Nathan, "Yes, Nathan. I'll marry you."

Nathan smiled as he kissed her.

High Flyers was his.

--------

Lucas knocked on Brooke's door. Armed with flowers, he was ready to swallow his pride and apologize to Brooke… as long as that meant he'd have her in his life and could keep her away from the arms of Nathan Scott – of course there was the promise of High Flyers – but for Lucas, his main priority was Brooke being far, far away from Nathan.

Siberia would be far enough, he thought to himself.

He frowned when the door didn't open immediately and knocked again. "Brooke! It's me, open up!" he called through the door.

The door flew open to reveal Nathan standing in front of him.

"Flowers? For me?" Nathan took the bunch of carnations from Lucas' hands and took a long sniff, "You shouldn't have."

"What are you doing here?" Lucas bit out, his teeth making a grinding noise. Nathan smirked.

"What do you think?" he replied. "I should put these in water." Nathan stepped into the room and Lucas followed, afraid of what he'd find.

There were no blankets or pillows on the floor this time. Lucas gulped as his eyes flew to the bed… the _unmade_ bed.

Two sets of clothing were strewn around the room. His and hers.

Candles were littered on surfaces, the wicks burnt out and Lucas spied a Sarah McLachlan CD case next to the CD player.

The very same album Brooke had once told him she'd listen to on her wedding night.

He silently cried out; '_Let this be a joke, let this be a joke.'_ Lucas turnedon Nathan, pushing him forcefully against the wall. "Where is she? What did you do to her?"

Nathan's smirk never faltered.

"Lucas?" Brooke emerged from the shower and looked at the scene in front of her. "Lucas! Put him down! Put him down right now!" she barked. Lucas reluctantly released his grip on Nathan and moved towards Brooke – who brushed past him and attended to the other man.

"What's going on?" Lucas asked.

"I should ask you the same thing, Lucas Eugene Scott!" Brooke replied, clearly angry with him.

"Eugene?" Nathan chuckled. Lucas glared.

"What is he doing here?"

"What do you think?" Nathan replied. "I spent the night."

"Yeah, right." Lucas shot back. He wouldn't believe it unless it came from Brooke herself. "Brooke?" Brooke shrugged and slid a hand around Nathan's waist. Lucas sighed. "I can't believe this! I thought you were going to wait until you were ready; until you were married."

"I did." Brooke replied.

"He slipped something in your drink!" Lucas snapped his fingers as if he'd come up with the answer. "He waited until you were unconscious before raping-"

"Lucas!" Brooke chuckled in disbelief. "You don't really think that."

"What am I supposed to think, Brooke?" Lucas yelled at her. "You… you're not supposed to have sex until you got married. You promised yourself. You told me that line over and over again throughout the eleven months we dated and you know this jerk for eleven _days_ and you sleep with him!"

"I didn't just sleep with him."

"Oh, I don't need details!" Lucas groaned.

"Lucas," Brooke took hold of his arm. "You may as well be the first to know."

"Well, I hope you're not going to spread this around school because-"

"We got married last night." Brooke told him. Lucas stared at her.

"Huh?"

"Nathan proposed and we got married." She explained, a grin forming on her lips. "We waited until we were married and then we made our first night memorable. We didn't just do it on the couch or anything. It was special." Brooke gushed. "I know you're mad and angry and think we're making a mistake – but we love each other and you just have to accept that."

Lucas shook his head. "You got married?"

"Yeah." She nodded and showed off her golden wedding band. "Aren't you even going to say congratulations?"

Lucas sighed in defeat and pulled Brooke into a hug, "Congratulations." He told her. She smiled and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you, Lucas."

Nathan stepped forward and extended his hand towards Lucas, who shook it though his grip was slightly firmer than the brunette's.

"Congratulations," Lucas told him, though both men knew the hidden message inside it.

You win.

However, Lucas knew that he may have lost the battle, but he hadn't lost the war.

He'd get High Flyers and get even with Nathan, even if it meant having to break his best friend's heart.

**To Be Continued…**


	5. The Honeymoon's Over

_I am the worst updater for this fic ever. I'm really sorry. This one keeps getting left behind. However, I hope you enjoy it anyway and I promise updates will be much swifter in the future. _

**Chapter Five: The Honeymoon's Over**

Haley straightened her blouse with a sigh. This hadn't exactly been part of the plan. Lucas was supposed to be the one doing all the dirty work for her. That was why she had hired him, so to speak. She smirked, well bribed... hired... they really were one and the same in her books.

Still, here she was, about to speak to Brooke off her own bat.

Men really were useless, she mused.

Pushing the door open, she plastered a smile on her face. "Oh Brookie?" She cooed in that sickeningly sweet tone she'd all-but-patented. "You home?"

Brooke popped her head from out of the bathroom and frowned when she saw the girl. Self-consciously she tightened her hold on the towel around her body and brushed the wet hair from her face, "Can I help you, Haley?" she asked masking her dislike for Haley James with a sweet voice. It was one of the lessons Brooke was taught when she was young. Even if you don't like somebody, always talk to them as if you did.

The other girl grinned, reminding Brooke of a rabid dog. "I've just come to talk," came the smooth response, "so don't freak out just yet."

'Wait a few minutes first,' was left unspoken, but was quite obviously there.

Brooke debated whether to leave the girl waiting while she changed or to let her talk while left in her towel. She decided against the latter. "Please excuse me for a few minutes," she requested politely, hoping that Nathan would come back from his first class quickly and save her from her... step-sister-in-law. She shuddered as she disappeared back in the bathroom before realization hit her. Did Haley know?

"Take your time," Haley responded, inspecting her nails. She looked up and flashed the girl yet another predatory smile. "Actually, I suppose that, for now at least, it'd be appropriate to say: 'Take your time… sis-in-law,' right?"

Well, that answered that question.

While Brooke quickly dried herself off and pulled on her clothes, doing her best to make herself look halfway presentable, the girl in the bedroom was walking around the area, looking at the stuffed animals scattered on the floor, the posters branded with inspirational messages like "There is no 'I' in 'Team'". She rolled her eyes. The bed was still unmade and a quick glance in the wastecan made Haley raise her eyebrows in both satisfaction and disbelief at the lone condom wrapper lying there between tissues and pieces of paper.

"Enjoying married life?" She asked, her eyes glinting.

Brooke didn't appreciate the innuendo that statement carried as she emerged pulling her hair up into a ponytail.

"It's a change. I take it Nathan told you," she replied crossing her arms over her chest.

"Sadly, yes." Haley was now trying her best to sound sympathetic. "He... asked me to speak to you this morning, actually." She sighed, hoping it sounded somewhat sad. "I suppose because this sort of conversation needs a woman's touch. Men can be..." she waved her hand about, as if searching for the right word, "...insensitive, about such things."

Brooke began to panic. Nathan wanted Haley to talk to her! But he had told her he had English! "Nathan had a class this morning; he had no time to talk to you."

"He's not in class, sweetie..." Now Haley reached out and awkwardly pulled her step-sister-in-law into a hug. "I hate that I have to break this to you..." She was grinning manically as she began to pull out all the stops, weaving her magic, playing her music. This would be her opus! Putting a quaver in her voice, she added. "I tried to talk him out of it..."

She saw Brooke's expression turn to one of concern, horror and regret. "Out of what?" Brooke demanded, trying her best to remain strong in front of Haley but beginning to fail miserably.

"Oh Brookie, you'd best sit down. This isn't easy for me..."" In fact, it was fun, but the other girl wasn't to know that.

Brooke obliged the girl's request, having no control over her actions as her body slowly began going numb. What was happening?

Haley realized that her song had reached its crucial peak and said the words she'd been longing to say for the last five minutes. "Nathan has always been known to be a bit impulsive. It was never his intention to hurt you, but... well, the annulment will be for the best, you'll see."

"Annulment?" That word was supposed to have been repeated in her head but Brooke spurted it out in shock. "Nathan wouldn't do that; he loves me."

"Unfortunately, he seems to only love himself..."

This was brilliant. Killing two birds with one stone. But what had he been thinking eloping with this drip anyway? Haley decided that - though he'd complain - she really was fixing his mess for him. He'd come to appreciate it. Perhaps even thank her for it.

"I need to talk to Nathan," Brooke muttered aloud as she reached for her cellphone and dialed his number. There was no connection - just a dial tone. She looked up questioningly at Haley.

"He changed his number, Brooke. I'm sorry." Haley bowed her head to reflect the apparent regret and sadness she felt inside. She was a brilliant actress and thanked her father for having sent her to all those drama classes when she was a freshman.

"Changed...number?" Brooke felt faint. She was being dumped. Worse; she was getting divorced! A glorified divorce; that was all an annulment was, after all. Oh, God, he really had just been after the sex.

Haley watched the emotions play out on the younger girl's face, and had to fight the grin that threatened to show itself when she noticed the realization dawning on the naive features. "Brooke, you deserve better than him anyway." Haley went as far as putting a comforting hand on Brooke's shoulder, "I only wish I could have warned you earlier of his plan. I just didn't know he'd go this far to win."

Brooke's head snapped up, "Win? Win what?"

"The Bet, of course."

"Bet?" The sadness was slowly being drowned out by anger. Haley put a hand to her mouth.

"Oh honey, don't tell me no-one told you. Well, it was a stupid bet, really. And I can't help but blame myself a little."

"A bet between who? For what?"

"Just a silly, stupid bet between me and him. If he won, he was promised a spot in the High Flyers...if _I _won, well it doesn't even matter since now he's won. It was only a harmless bet but Nathan, as usual, took things far."

"High Flyers? A basketball camp? I was a pawn in his bid to get into a _basketball camp_?"

Vaguely miffed that she'd been cut off, Haley sniffed. "He's _male_, Brooke. You were warned. Quite a few times, in fact."

"You've never said a wor—" she stopped and closed her eyes tightly. "Lucas."

"Lucas." Haley grinned. "The poor, devoted puppy that you kicked, time and time again. But I'm not blaming you," she rushed to add, realizing that Brooke was turning sour on her, and she wasn't one to ever like to accept blame. "Nathan can be _very _persuasive. I know it, believe me."

"I think you should go." Brooke stood up abruptly.

"I don't think you should be alone right now."

"I won't be. Just... go." Brooke struggled to regain her composure. She wouldn't cry - not in front of Haley - she needed the girl out of her room. She needed to get herself out of this room. And out of this place. She needed answers. And Lucas would be the one to provide them.

Haley frowned, but nodded. She'd get a front row view to the action anyway. There really was no use sitting around and watching the girl blubber; that would only be entertaining for a few minutes at best. "Okay," she replied softly, "Remember, though, I'm always around if you need to vent."

The second the girl left Brooke alone, she was straight onto her cellphone and dialing another number.

"Brooke." The reply was somber. "Where's the husb—" Lucas stopped when all he heard was sobbing down the phone. He had no idea how Haley had done it, but she had remained true to her word. "I'll be right there." He knew that he should feel bad for his best friend being duped several times by three different people - including himself - but instead he smiled. High Flyers was in his sights.

-----

Haley waited outside Nathan's last class of the day, knowing full well that Brooke was too broken up to even venture outside her room. Lucas had called earlier and informed her that Brooke had called her and that the second part of their plan was already in progress. She just had to fix him High Flyers. Catching sight of her step-brother walking out of the classroom, she put on a sickly sweet smile and cooed.

"Oh Nathan…" she wiggled a finger at him from across the hall and the boy seemed to resent her presence. "I need to talk to you."

He approached her, "I need to talk to you too." After being in lessons all morning, he'd barely had a chance to himself, let alone to drop by and see Brooke, who he assumed had also been in classes. Before he had left that morning, they had agreed not to tell anyone until they had spoken to their parents.

"Ah," she put a finger to her lips, "I bet you want to discuss your payment. After all, you did win…"

"You know?" he frowned.

"Of course I know. I know everything." She grinned cockily. "Let's take a walk, shall we?"

As the two walked towards her study, Nathan stopped her. "Listen, Haley, I know that I won the bet but I really need your help." She let him continue, "I need you to convince the Parental Units to let me stay married to Brooke."

"Oh really?" she seemed surprised.

"Yeah. I know it might look like I only did it to win the bet but I realized that I really do love her and I want to keep her. Maybe we shouldn't have gotten married but I know we can make this work. I just need your word that you won't tell her anything about the bet. Let me do it to try and fix this."

"I won't say a word," Haley promised. "Speaking of fixing things, the Parental Units are here."

"What?" Nathan asked. Haley nodded.

"Yeah, they flew in from New York an hour ago. I wonder what is so important that they had to fly in so hastily." She mused as she opened the door of her study and pushed Nathan in… having him faced to face with his mother and his step-father.

"Nathan," Deb bit out. "Please take a seat." Nathan glanced at his step-sister who gave a small shrug and acted as if she had no idea what was going on.

"Mom…"

"We got a very interesting phone call telling us that you had gotten married." Deb sighed in disbelief. "I know you've done some pretty impulsive and stupid things in your life but this one definitely beats them all. Even the time you stole your father's boat and went to Cuba for two weeks!"

"I know this seems like it was a stupid idea—"

"It doesn't _sound_ like a stupid idea, it _is_ a stupid idea. What the hell were you thinking running off and getting married like that? You are barely eighteen!"

"And! You don't think I can make my own decisions? I'm an adult!" Nathan reminded them.

"You haven't even graduated, how the hell do you think you were going to survive?"

"Trust Fund," he replied simply.

"Like we're letting you have your trust fund after pulling a stunt like this. Honestly, Nathan. Do you not even think?" Deb sighed, "And to do this to win a stupid bet?"

Nathan shot a look to Haley who shrugged innocently, "You were in class and they asked…"

"It's not what you think. I really do love her."

"No, you love High Flyers. I can't believe you'd manipulate and use an innocent and sweet girl like Brooke Davis for your own gain." His mother glanced at her husband. "Anything to add, Larry?"

"Only that I think Nathan should be able to explain himself properly." Larry said, "Maybe he really is in love."

"Oh like that matters…" Deb sighed heavily before turning to her son, "Go ahead, Nathan. Explain."

"Thank you," he said to his parents, "Look, you guys think that I'm a huge screw-up and a big waste of time. I've let you down countless times and I know that. And yes, I went after Brooke for all the wrong reasons but after getting to know her and spending time with her, I realized that I had these feelings for her that I've never felt before. I was falling in love with her and I didn't even realize it until last night. I didn't just marry her to get into High Flyers. I married her because it felt right and I just knew I wanted to spend my life with her. I'm going to change, I promise you. I have to change because I love her. I know that I'll hurt her when I tell her the truth, but I'm ready to face the consequences because Brooke is the one thing in my life I'll fight to keep. I've already let her down by not being honest with her, but I am determined not to let her down again. I'm going to prove to you all that people can change and they will change. You just have to give me a chance." As his speech came to an end, Larry and Deb cast a glance at one another.

"Impressive speech," Larry said finally. "But I'm afraid it's too late." Nathan frowned in confusion.

"We got a call from Brooke's parents earlier. Brooke told them everything and they're taking her out of the school."

"They can't do that!"

"Yes they can, Nathan. They've already drawn up annulment papers and Brooke's preparing to leave for California this afternoon."

"She wouldn't do that! Brooke loves me. She wouldn't leave without telling me."

"It was Brooke's choice. She said marrying you was the biggest mistake of her life and none of the Davis family wants anything to do with you. We'll be hearing from their lawyers." Deb explained. "I think it's best if you did the same and signed the papers when we receive them. Maybe we can all forget about this and you can move on."

"But I love her."

"Oh, honey, you'll find somebody else. All that stuff about changing can still happen without her. This is just what she wants."

"This is insane. Half a day ago I was happily married and after school I find out that you guys have flown in, Brooke's packing up and leaving the state, and she wants an annulment?" He put a hand to his head, "This couldn't have happened so quickly unless…" he spun around to where Haley stood. "You."

Haley gave him a look, "This is for the best, Nathan. I was just protecting you."

"No, you were trying to win your stupid bet. Did you tell her?" he demanded to know. Haley crossed her arms and nodded.

"Of course I told her. Like I was going to let you both go off and be happily married. She had trapped you, Nathan. I was simply giving you a way out."

"Maybe I didn't want a way out," he challenged. She scoffed.

"Yeah, of course you didn't. The infamous playboy Nathan changing because of some virginal girl? Please!" her frown softened, "Come on, this was a stupid bet. I don't see why you're whining about it. Be a man and get over it. You'll be over this silly infatuation tomorrow and back to your old ways. Leopards and spots, right?" she gave him a grin to indicate that she was enjoying this.

Rage boiling over and frustrated with everyone's incapability to accept that he truly loved Brooke, Nathan aimed straight for the grinning auburn-haired girl, taking her by her shoulders and pushing her against the wall.

"Where is she?" he said through grinded teeth.

"Nathan! Let her go!" his mother shouted at him, amazed at the act of aggression displayed in front of her. But Nathan didn't relent; he kept his eyes fixed on Haley's silent expression as Larry pulled him off his daughter.

"That is just enough, young man! You're in enough trouble as it is; do you want to add abuse among them?" Larry grunted. "This annulment is going ahead, unless you can get Brooke to change her mind. And even if you do, which I highly doubt, there's still a little matter of getting her parents to consent to it. I'm almost certain they want nothing to do with you, us or this school. A little contact as possible would be the easiest for everybody."

"I need to see Brooke!" Nathan insisted. "Is she still here?"

"Nathan…"

"Is she still here?" he demanded but when no answer came he stormed out of the study and raced towards the dormitories, determined to stop Brooke from leaving.

Haley watched him go before pulling out her cellphone and dialing Lucas' number. "Nathan's on his way. He's mad that she's filing annulment papers before him and I told him that you've got High Flyers. I think he might hurt her to get to you. He's on his way to you now! Get her out of here."

-----

Nathan finally reached Brooke's halls of residence, cursing whoever had placed her on the other side of campus. Panting heavily he knocked on the door urgently. "Brooke!" he yelled through the door, "Let me in, I have to talk to you!"

There was no answer and Nathan didn't have a key.

"Brooke…" he sighed, "I know you're in there. Just give me a chance to explain myself. I'm so sorry you found out this way. I know I made a mistake by lying to you and using you but I know that now and I really do love you. I never lied about wanting to marry you. I should have just been honest when I had the chance. Please just give me one more chance." He begged hoping that she'd at least open the door – even if it was to yell at him. He just had to make sure that she'd heard that and knew how sorry he really was.

Without warning the lights in the hallway were cut out, leaving the young man in darkness. Brooke's hall of residence was situated on the east and so it got dark quicker than where Nathan lived… and in these winter months it became darker even earlier.

Only able to make out slight shadows through the light coming from the windows, Nathan struggled to find the light switches.

"Crap!" he exclaimed loudly before hearing the scuffling of footsteps somewhere behind him. Spinning around, he barely had time to make out the figure in front of him. Nathan's eyes drifted to the shadow of the object held in the figure's hand and before he could do anything, the object came swinging down and connected with Nathan's leg, sending the boy falling to the ground with a thud and a scream of pain. In an effort to stop Nathan's yells of help, the figure swung his weapon once more, this time aiming for his head. The weapon silenced the boy and the figure, satisfied, went running off in the other direction before anyone could come and see.

Nathan lay on the floor, his last thoughts before the weapon had rendered him unconscious were of Brooke and the soaring pain raging through his body.

With one fell swoop, Nathan had lost both High Flyers and the love of his life.

-------

Brooke awoke slowly, drowsiness still surrounding her and the pain in her head still throbbing. Through the darkness, she made out the person sitting in the chair next to her.

"Lucas?" she whispered, still not fully awake and under the effects of the sleeping pills Lucas had given her to help her sleep and calm her down. She had been crying non-stop since she'd called him earlier that day, and the tears had not stopped until she'd fallen asleep.

"Yeah?" he whispered back.

"You're still here?" she asked suppressing a yawn.

"Of course I am. I told you I wouldn't leave you. You're with me now." He gave her a smile and kissed the top of her head, "You better go back to sleep. We're leaving in a couple of hours. It's a long flight to California."

She gave him a grateful grin, "Did I tell you how glad I am you're with me? I'm sorry for being so stupid. I really thought I loved him."

"Shhh," he coaxed as she began falling asleep again. "Just get some rest. Everything will be okay." As she quickly fell back into deep slumber thanks to the sleeping pills, Lucas sat up straight in his chair and looked over at the corner where his baseball bat stood against the wall.

A small smirk crossed his lips.

He'd won.

**To Be Continued…**


End file.
